Trouser Travails
by patnkatz
Summary: Even a pirate needs new clothes every once in a while...
1. Chapter 1

**Trouser Travails**

_Author's note__: This (shorter and lighter) fanfic got its start from a discussion I had with Stained Lace... As usual, all of the Matsumoto characters belong to Leiji Matsumoto. The Amish people I speak of herein may not be known to most; they are a religious sect of people who believe in a simpler way of life who originated in Europe and travelled to Pennsylvania due to religious persecution early in America's history. Any mistakes I make about them are borne of ignorance, not of intent. You'll meet "Doc" Thea Mallory better in "Eulogy." I hope I can do them all justice! _

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_"Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes." ~Henry David Thoreau, __Walden_

Harlock was in his quarters with the five ladies of the Arcadia, some of whom held a pair of his usual uniform trousers in their hands, which totaled a number of three pairs. His arms were crossed over his bandaged chest wounds and he stood stiffly in their midst wearing his robe and underwear. It was hard to maintain a dignified posture, he mused, while attired in such a manner. Nonetheless, if he wanted help he would need to bend on some issues, he thought resignedly. He looked at each of them in turn, hoping for a miracle. Looking at their faces, his heart sank in his chest.

"Harlock," said Kei, "we need for you to get new clothes - your current trousers are worn out and you have just managed to skin through this pair on the last mission and it will have your knee showing on the left side, not to mention the seat of your pants have also been torn." She put her hand through a pair of his trousers and wiggled her gloved fingers through the gaping hole in the left knee guard area, and the seam in the back of the trousers, to demonstrate the futility of the project. "These will protect you not at all," she firmly stated.

Julia DeBeaupara held his tattered cape in her arms. She shook her head grimly. He had come so close to disaster this last time and only Harley had been in position to assist. She didn't like to think what might have happened if Harley hadn't been there. The cape had large gaping holes in it as well. While it had done its job of disguising his body position, it was now little more than shreds held together with the collar.

Masu shook her head sadly as she surveyed another pair of the black trousers with gold zippers that Harlock wore regularly in her lap. She sat in Harlock's high backed chair by the round table near the windows; Duranium scissors and needle and the battle fabric thread in hand, but with the frayed edges of the torn side seams and snagged zippers, did not hold out much hope for the current state of their disrepair. "I've repaired these three pairs of trousers for you so many times that I don't think that anything can hold them together any longer. Time to visit a tailor." She looked at both Kei and Miimee for support and then up at him expectantly.

Off to the other side, as Miimee held the third pair of trousers in her hands; inspecting the torn right pocket area and the inseam where his Cosmo Dragoon holster tie had worn through the tough battle fabric at long last. She shook her beautiful blue hair in dismay - how _had_ he managed this? "These are ruined as well." She stated. She looked at him with her mysterious golden eyes and their impossibly long lashes.

He looked at all of them in disbelief. "New trousers?" He asked doubtfully. "Why can't we sew these back together?" He was inwardly groaning. If these could not be repaired, then he would have to brave a shopping expedition. He'd rather fight off an entire armada than do that! "I mean, they aren't all that old!" He exclaimed desperately, as he implored them with his hands held out to his sides, palms up in supplication. "Couldn't you take parts of one and fix the other two pairs?" He looked at them with hopeful eye(s).

All three shook their heads in unison. "No." Their statement brooked no argument and no discussion; not with five pairs of eyes boring into him with the truth.

Great, he thought moodily and re-crossed his arms on his chest. Now, how was he supposed to shop for trousers, await them being made and pass the time until all was completed? Not to mention finding a place and person that would make combat uniforms for tall, skinny, scarred, and one-eyed pirates; nor the safety issues involved with finding a tailor to assist in the project who wouldn't turn him in to the nearest authorities - in his underwear, no less. He sighed. He turned around and stared out the floor to ceiling French-paned Duraplast window in his quarters to the space scene outside that currently reflected the nearby silvery-blue, green, and pink nebula they were hiding behind.

Maya had made his uniform trousers for him and packed them in a case for him to be delivered by the Earth Resistance before he had embarked aboard the Arcadia five years ago. Since then, he had worn them day in and day out these past five years. How she had managed to make three sets of complete battle gear while sick and imprisoned had been a mystery to him, but Maya had always been very resourceful. His gaze softened. While he wore them he could pretend that he still had Maya with him. He still missed her, but the pain of her loss was more distant now and lessening for him.

Now, he had to consider replacement of his uniforms. He had used white jeans in the past to stretch out the time and durability issues, but they hadn't held up well under the punishment he gave his clothing. No, battle cloth was best; it deflected most shots and protected him in other ways as well. He stared out of the window. Who did he know that could do this for him? The Arcadia ladies could do repairs, but not a full construction. He also shied away from the idea of them measuring him for the garments. That was more contact than he wanted.

"Doc" Thea Mallory looked at the trousers she held considering the problem. It wasn't likely they could just march him into the nearest Mall and shop for trousers in a regular store. That would bring out the bounty hunters in droves and they would have to fight their way back out. Would Marina Oki have connections? She mulled this over in her mind and then discarded the idea. Harlock would hear no end of teasing from Warius Zero were they to ask for help from that quarter which would _not_ be good for Harlock's mood. Maetel was off on one of her many adventures thwarting her mother's plans while seemingly assisting Queen Promethium. Emeraldas was currently in the third quadrant of the Hercules cluster working on the project there... AH! She had it!

"What about Widow Schulte?" She asked. The group looked at her, brightened and then looked at Harlock. He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at them, considering the idea. "Possible," he stated, "but we would have to find the fabric for her to use. And battle cloth is not available to just anyone." He considered what smugglers they had connections with. None he knew were capable of procuring the cloth.

Miimee cocked her head to one side considering the problem. "What about that neutral planet we visited two months ago?" She asked. "We were able to help them out so they DO owe us a favor or two." All the other ladies nodded their heads.

Harlock snorted and said, "True, but whether or not _they_ believe they owe us a favor may be an entirely different issue." He shook his head ruefully. "Often we have helped people in the past and have received naught but curses in return. We would have to be extremely careful in order to not have a disaster on our hands. I don't want to lose someone over a stupid pair of pants!"

Kei said, "Maybe Widow Schulte would be willing to travel to the planet with us, buy the cloth and make them for you here aboard the Arcadia? No one could possibly object to a little old defenseless Amish lady shopping on a neutral planet." Everyone looked at her in amazement.

"Widow Schulte?" Mazu questioned thoughtfully.

"Travel?" Miimee echoed doubtfully.

"Aboard the Arcadia?" Harlock's other eyebrow joined its twin, high on his forehead, deep under his long, messy, and auburn-tinged brown hair.

"Perhaps if we bartered with her," "Doc" Mallory mused. Thea was a bit amused at the idea of Widow Schulte as being "defenseless," despite her firm religious beliefs of non-aggression. Ah, well, they would see!

Everyone looked at the others, down at the trousers and then up at Harlock. He considered the idea. He would need to travel to Earth, to the town of Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster, of the old state of Pennsylvania. He would need to personally talk with the Widow, and talk her into doing the project and obtain her son Jakob's permission. Then she would have to agree to ride on the Arcadia, away from her family for the time involved, do the projects and then be returned home, safe and sound.

Okay, he thought. Think it through. She was Amish, therefore wasn't likely to talk with "English" authorities unless directly questioned by them, liked "Plain" clothes and a "Plain" lifestyle, and since she wouldn't be required to pilot the Arcadia, she should be willing to just ride in the Arcadia - that wasn't against her beliefs - the Amish frequently got rides with their "English" friends. The Arcadia was, ahem_, mostly_ plain black... one would, of course, have to ignore the flashy Death's-Head on the bow and the retractable, gleaming and indestructible Duranium ramming blade, quite a few cannon and Space Buster ports, the Grazers and other assorted armaments...

Widow Schulte had nursed him back to health after his adventures two years ago; feeding the Earth while it was under the thumb of the Illumidas. He had forgotten who he was for a while from his head injury, and she had made his clothes for him while he hid in plain sight during his recovery, as his usual garb wasn't exactly circumspect. He wasn't too certain how she would deal with the gold side seam zippers as they were _not_ "plain," not to mention the whole skull and crossbones thing, but maybe she would give him a pass on that one as he was also an "English," he thought wryly, a German "English." He had never been able to fully convince her that he, too, was of German descent.

Of course, to her, the Illumidas were merely the "Green English." He snorted. The world around Widow Schulte could be exploding and disintegrating and she would merely look at him reprovingly and ask politely if "thee could manage less noise," then serenely go back to what she had been doing.

He had received an old style letter from her two months ago and hadn't had a chance to reply. He could reply in person. He grinned. This time around, he'd try to not barnstorm her son's hay barn... He marched over to the Com and called the Bridge, telling Yattaran that they were headed to Earth to an area once known as Pennsylvania.

He then walked into his largely bare, cavernous walk-in closet and pulled out of the sealed case his only other pair of trousers made of battle cloth; his red Captain's uniform from when he had served in Sol Fed Navy. When he had changed into Maya's garb, he had stored his Sol Fed uniform in the case she had packed his new pirate battle gear in. He pulled them on and was satisfied to see that they fit him still and were in fact, a bit loose in the waist. He pulled on his usual shirt, his black boots; stuffing the legs of the trousers into the boot tops. He slid his belt through the trouser loops, hooked his weapons and utility belt around his waist and holstered his weapons. He hung his robe in the closet and emerged.

The ladies of the Arcadia all raised their eyebrows as one as they stared at his garb. Black pirate shirt with the Death's-head emblem on the chest paired with his bright red naval trousers with gold piping on the side seams. Truly an ironic pairing, they thought with amusement. He cocked his head at them, aware of their thoughts, picked up his rather tattered cape from Julia and swung it over his shoulders as he exited his quarters.

Kei, Miimee, Julia, Thea and Masu looked at each other and smiled a bit. This might be a rather interesting adventure! Four of the ladies had heard about the Widow, and Harlock's adventures there, but this would be the first time they would hopefully meet her. Reportedly, according to Thea, the Widow had kept him in line and this was something that they wanted to see.

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Harlock entered the Bridge of the Arcadia and mounted the bar, grasping the anachronistic ship's wheel of the Arcadia. Everyone on the bridge was staring at his bright red trousers paired with the worn black pirate's shirt and tattered cape - a very schizophrenic outfit. Tochiro was grinning and smirking. Sabu waggled his eyebrows at him and Harley openly laughed at the sight. Yattaran merely shook his head and picked up his model of the Yamamoto to inspect it. Harlock ignored all of them rather pointedly.

"Arcadia, Hasshin!" he commanded. The Arcadia leapt forward at his command and slipped _between_, along the spheres and strings of time and space, to the planet of its origin, Earth.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Trouser Travails - Chapter 2**

_**"Our God and soldier we alike adore - just at the brink of ruin, not before; after deliverance, both alike requited; Our God is forgotten and our soldiers slighted." Francis Quarles**_

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The Arcadia swept into the gravity well of Sol in silence and stealth. Even though the Illumidas were no longer in control of Earth - indeed, no longer in control of their own home world - Harlock still kept his approach and presence a secret. It was troubling that despite all he and the Arcadia's crew had done to help Earth reboot, so to speak, the political environment was such that he was still a wanted man with a rather respectable price on his head.

In short, despite the general knowledge worldwide that they had a huge role to play in Earth's freedom and restoration, he was not welcome on his own home planet. There were times that he thought bitterly on that but then decided that his nature was not one to dwell on past sins of others. Learn from them, yes, dwell on them, no.

As they dodged all of the warning devices and buoys placed in the system, he was heartened to see that more people were emerging from the shadows and once again, mankind was searching and exploring his own space. "Kei, call the Death Shadow Station and have it prepare for our arrival." Kei nodded affirmatively and proceeded to signal the station. This would get it ready to receive the Arcadia and her crew. Harlock signaled Yattaran to take over for him at the helm. Harlock then went back to his quarters.

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He retrieved a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet and uncorked it, decanting it into the carafe. He poured himself a glass of the deep flavorful Merlot and carried it to his table and chair near the window. He sat down, crossed his legs and stared out of the window. This would be the first time he had been back to Earth in almost a year. He turned his CompPad around and pulled up the news feed from Earth.

He was gratified to see that even though Triter had been fighting to get back into office, the people of Earth had not confirmed him in his bid for election. He smiled. Good, perhaps they were learning to look beyond the slick media portrayals to see the truth just below the surface. So, that meant that there was hope for Earth, however, an awfully large pointy stick had had to be used to awaken them! Truth was not ever in words, only in one's deeds, so if his interventions had at least that much effect, it was enough. As he swirled the wine in the glass, sipping on it occasionally as he reviewed the latest news, he thought back to how he had gotten to be where he was now.

He wondered if he had never gone into the Solar Federation Navy, would he now be Earth's premier pirate? Would he be home in Heiligenstadt with Maya raising their children in the Harlock ancestral home? He doubted it. More likely, Earth would either still be enslaved, or dead and her people scattered to the four quadrants, he and Maya along with them. He finished the glass and set to pour himself another. He was maudlin today, more somber than usual. It had to be the trousers; he was wearing his old naval uniform pants and it was causing him to think about things he usually shied away from.

With a quirky grin, he got up and went over to his walk-in closet. He wondered why Tochiro had made such a big closet in the Captain's quarters, for he certainly wasn't the sort to take up even a quarter of the space provided. He pulled out the case that held the rest of his Sol Fed uniform. Peeling off his shirt and dumping it on the floor, he pulled out his Sol Fed shirt and jacket. He put them on. As he did so, another box behind the case became visible. He stopped what he was doing and then sat on the floor of the closet and pulled the box over to him. He rested his hand on it for a moment of indecision. With an impatient nod at himself, he then opened the box and looked at what it contained.

He had received this box a year ago. It had come from his old commanding officer, Admiral Horatio Nimitz MacArthur. In it, was an envelope with a letter from the old warrior. Harlock pulled off his gauntlets and pulled the letter from the box. He opened the envelope slowly, thinking about the last time that he had seen Horatio. He had been on Pluto with Maetel when the disturbing Shadow had come up to him and said that someone had left something there for him.

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He had gone with Shadow and in an inner room in the sanctuary, the elderly Horatio had been sitting there in a chair. Harlock had a momentary start, not quite certain if he should salute, say hello, or shake hands. He was not certain of his welcome. As he stood there awkwardly, Horatio had risen to his feet and came over to Harlock.

"Not quite certain of the protocols for this sort of encounter, eh?" Horatio asked rather amusedly. Harlock flushed in embarrassment. "I am not certain of anything at this moment, sir." Harlock belatedly put out his hand in greeting. As they shook hands, Harlock looked at Horatio and thought with sadness that the man had aged considerably since they had last talked together. Horatio looked up at Harlock, studying him and rested finally on his eye(s).

"We both have our scars, Harlock." Horatio said softly. "While I retain my rank and privileges and you do not, it is you who have rescued us from damnation. Again. And we refuse to bring you home for the hero's welcome you and your people deserve." Horatio shook his head sadly. "I wish I could say that I was here on behalf of the Earth and her grateful people, but I'm not." He looked up and met Harlock's eye(s) again and held their gaze. "I am here, however, from a group of people on the Earth who do know what you have done and why. They wanted to honor you, but there is little officially that can be done."

Horatio turned and went back to his chair, inviting Harlock to join him in the adjacent one. Harlock sat quietly in the chair and waited to see what Horatio would tell him.

"The Earth Federation is no more; it is now Earth Government Central. All that we started with at the beginning of the war is now gone. There is little difference in where you go on Earth as it all had to be rebuilt; much infrastructure was gone. And although you restored the planet, There were so few people that we have quickly become a rather homogenized people. Much has been lost. And because of this, people have finally started working together and banding together to rebuild." Nimitz took a breath and looked out of the window at space and the rugged mountains of Pluto. He brooded for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.

Harlock waited a beat, then asked, "What does that have to do with why you came here, awaiting my arrival? Obviously, you've been here for quite some time. Why was it important for you to tell me this?"

Nimitz returned his attention to Harlock. "It means that you are still not welcome on Earth, Harlock. I , and some others, wanted you to be aware to be careful when you come to visit Mayu." He smiled. "Yes, we know about Mayu, who she is related to and who her Godfather is." He smiled. "Some of us look out for her when we can. She is a sweet girl; hard to believe that Emeraldas is her mother!" Harlock grinned and bowed his head in assent.

"But you cannot come openly, nor should you put yourself at risk. The bounty hunters all know who you are related to in Heiligenstadt and keep watch over them as well as Mayu. Be careful."

Horatio slumped his shoulders. "I must also tell you that despite our best efforts, you have been tried by a military tribunal and by civilian court in absentia." He looked up at Harlock with sorrow in his eyes. "Harlock, you were found guilty of not only piracy, but of desertion and dereliction of duty, too. Your exile from Earth still stands and your legal status is still one of outlawry."

Harlock took in a sharp breath. He hadn't been aware that he had been holding it. Somehow this was worse than just the thought that no one had tried to see the truth. They had actually given thought to it and repudiated him as an entire world. He tasted bile in the back of his mouth and swallowed painfully. Very well. He couldn't change that. He could only change his response to it. He breathed out.

"Admiral, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to come and tell me of this. It had to be hard for you to do." Harlock gave one of his lopsided quirky smiles. "I suppose I should not have thought that anything else would happen if the truth were known. But I had hoped, I admit that. I chose my course the day I told Triter I would never see to another people's total destruction, nor be a party to it. I refused a direct order from my Commander in Chief and I have to take my lumps for that. In my heart, I knew, and everyone else knew, that it was an illegal order, but it was still an order. I chose to uphold what was right, not what was expedient. The results haven't always been pleasant." Harlock calmly rose from the chair and looked out of the window.

He stared out into space. "This is my home, now," he said softly. "I have all of the universe to explore and welcome that task. I cannot change the course that I am on. Where it will end, I do not know. I only know that I must do what is in my heart to do. I am a warrior, born and bred to protect and defend. It does not require that those whom I protect and defend like what I do, or how I do it. It is only important for me to do it."

Harlock turned back to the Admiral and went over to the chair. He held out his hand in an effort to end the conversation, but Horatio simply looked up at him and smiled. He held up his hand to indicate he wasn't done yet and said, "Ah, I am not yet finished with you, Harlock!" He grinned impishly. "I said that the official statements are what I have related to you. Not the unofficial ones." He waited a beat and Harlock raised an eyebrow while he lowered his hand.

"Some on Earth do understand what a sheepdog is for, you know..." Horatio smiled wolfishly as he extended one hand off to the side, palm up. "Sheep cannot be counted upon to understand or even like their dogs. But that doesn't mean that the sheep don't need one. Oh, they eat their grass all day and bah in the fields going about their business, but it is always under the protective gaze of their sheepdogs. When danger comes, and it always does for sheep, they look suddenly for their sheepdog and try to hide behind them. After danger is past, they go back to ignoring their dogs. "

Admiral Horatio Nimitz MacArthur cocked his head to one side and raised his other hand out to the other side, palm up and continued, "You see Harlock, men and women who are productive members of society are needed and rarely do they even want to do anything violent. It is abhorrent to them and the most distant thing from their minds. They make new things, dream up futures and just live. That is what they are supposed to do. But, they don't like the military people very much because they are sheep and we rather look like wolves to them. We have the capacity for violence and welcome the opportunity to protect and defend. Wolves are quite simply violent, without conscience, and devour the sheep. We stand in the middle, and sheep sometimes cannot tell the difference between a sheepdog and a wolf. However, sheepdogs know wolves when they see them and vice-versa."

Harlock wasn't certain yet if he should be insulted or comforted - was Nimitz comparing him to a dog or a wolf? "So, am I the pirate dog, or the devouring evil wolf?" He asked, somewhat tongue in cheek. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Nimitz smiled. "We both know what we are, Harlock. If I had had to make your decision, I hope that I would have chosen the one that confirmed life and repudiated the psychopathic order given by Triter. I respect you for your choice and honor your decision. I am not alone. Most of the military also agree. However, due to the sheep we must protect, we have to play their games in order to protect them. That means we cannot laud you publicly."

Harlock was intrigued. "So, what does it mean, Sir?"

Nimitz's doggie grin came out again. "It means that there are those of us who, quietly and underground are supporting you. Sheep don't need all of the information they think that they want. We are going to edit what we tell them about you, your missions and your whereabouts."

Harlock cocked his head to the side. "That would mean that you know where I am and what I am doing. I do not think that you can know this other than in retrospect." He was challenging Nimitz; he wanted to see how much he knew.

Nimitz's smile became slightly more wolfish. "Ah, but we do! You've been to Gun Frontier, Pluto, Andromeda, Lar Metal, and Technologia in the past four months alone. You and Lady Maetel are planning something, we know, but not yet what. Care to share?" He waggled his eyebrows at Harlock.

Eh, Harlock thought sourly. They should not have been able to figure out about either Gun Frontier or Lar Metal. So, had Zero been blabbing?

Before he could ask, Nimitz laughed with delight. "You see? You are not as secretive as you think! And no, Warius did not spill the beans. He won't, you know."Nimitz wagged a finger at Harlock. "You have quite a friend there in Zero. He follows orders, but thinks like a sheepdog. He won't sell you out."

Harlock obviously needed to have a talk with his crew! He sighed. Loose lips sink ships... "Was this all you wanted to tell me?" He asked.

"No," Nimitz replied gravely. "We let you down before when we didn't see what Triter had planned for both your downfall and our own. We know better, now. On the surface we will follow orders. Where possible, however, look for an open window if you find a closed door. We will seek to provide you one in dire straits." He got up out of the chair and went over to the closet. He pulled out a large box. "Here, this is yours." He handed the box to Harlock, came to full ceremonial salute, released it and then left.

Stunned, Harlock sat down at the desk by the chair and opened the box. He almost cried.

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In his quarters, he opened the envelope again and read that same letter. This time, he did cry, tears falling down his cheek to the parchment below. He carefully put the letter back into its envelope and folded over the flap, placing it carefully back in the larger box. Then he opened the many smaller boxes within the larger one. He methodically placed all of the small pieces where they belonged on the Sol Fed Navy Uniform Dress Jacket. When he was done, he donned the jacket and looked at his reflection in the mirror on the back of the closet door.

He stood at attention, remembering the occasions that had resulted in all of his various pieces of "lettuce." The people whose lives had been lost while he had survived, those he had fought for and those whom he had been able to save; he also remembered all the people he had served with, most of whom were now dead.

He came to his full height, heels together at full parade attention, raised his right hand to his right brow in perfect parade salute. "For the honor of knowing and serving all of you." He whispered.

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_Author's notes: This chapter is a bit more somber and reflective. It speaks to a lot of Harlock's pain. He is an abused sheepdog who still does his best, no matter what. I think it is why we love him._

_This chapter is written in honor of those who died on 9/11/01, both in service and as innocent victims. _

_It was also written from a desire to honor those who serve the many sheep our planet holds. I am a sheep, but a grateful one. I like my sheepdogs and want them to protect me from the wolves of this world. If you are a sheepdog and happen to read this, thank you for your service._

_Also, a special thanks for a letter written by Charles Grennel, Army Reserve, and his comrades of the Gulf War, who explain well the need for sheepdogs and why sheep tend to dishonor them. Look it up online with this- thesheepdog - add the dot com thing on the end._


	3. Chapter 3

Trouser Travails - Chapter 3

_Never wear anything that panics the cat. ~P.J. O'Rourke_

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Yattaran was at the helm and guided the Arcadia into the dry dock of the Death Shadow Base. The docking clamps latched onto the Arcadia and the gantry extended the walkway to the access port in the flank of the Arcadia. Once the Arcadia was secure, he ordered Sabu to power the warship down. The normal deep thrum of the Arcadia lessened and felt almost silent. Kei Commed to the ship's personnel that they were now in dry dock.

Tochiro had bustled off almost immediately, all but running for the walkway of the Arcadia. Eagerly, he went to his station quarters and Commed Emeraldas that he was arrived at the Death Shadow. Her face softened when she saw him come onto her view screen and a smile flirted with the corners of her mouth. He was grinning from ear to ear. "How is it going?" He asked her. "Did you find what we needed?"

She shook her flame colored hair and said, "No, not yet, Tochiro. I hope to contact another person who may have more information sometime tonight." Her face was sad, for this meant that she would be unlikely to come to the base at the same time he was there this time.

His face mirrored her own. "Oh," he said sadly, dropping his face down somewhat. He lifted his face to look at his wife again. "I can check in on Mayu because Harlock is going to be visiting on Earth for a bit."

Emeraldas smiled openly at this, for their daughter was a jewel that they both doted upon. Unfortunately, due to the nature of what they did, visits were not as frequent as either of them would like. Not to mention the dangers inherent in such visits, for it was known who Mayu was related to and she was watched. However, they both felt that she needed to be raised in atmosphere, so they were willing to put her needs ahead of their own. Mayu was boarded at a nice Catholic school in Europe. The grounds were lovely - now - and the caretakers loved the two-year-old Mayu, not caring who her parents were.

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Kei Yuki was passionate about surfing. She ran for the indoor sea, board in hand. She had changed into her wetsuit almost immediately and couldn't wait to surf. The smaller wave-maker aboard the Arcadia was okay, but the one on the station was four times as large and she could really catch quite a ride when she wanted.

As she ran, most of the male crew in her path looked admiringly after her. The sight of a nineteen-year-old shapely young woman running with long blonde hair swinging behind her wet-suited form was quite a sight to them. They shook their heads ruefully, well aware that she was off limits. Harlock would have no compunctions about keeping them all in line where she was concerned. He was worse than an over protective older brother with regard to her safety. Fortunately, Kei seemed blithely unaware of either their stares, or the care that surrounded her. She gleefully paddled out to meet the waves and lost herself in them.

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Miss Masu carried her favorite cooking pot off of the Arcadia with her. Behind her, Tori-san and Miuu followed. They had each attempted to steal a bottle of Saki from the kitchen and she had scolded them rather severely, brandishing her knives all the while. They listened to her, after all, she was the one who fed them most of the time. So, Miuu carried his favorite stuffed carp toy in his mouth and Tori-san waddled after, biting at the cat's tail every once in a while. Masu sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon with the two pets along.

She finally reached the station's kitchen. It was largely automated, but knew that she liked to do a lot of the cooking herself. "Hello, Miss Masu." A musical automated feminine voice stated. "What would you like to make today?" Masu put her pot on the 24 burner stove and looked around. All of the pots in the rack were spotless and ready. She looked in the cooler. Good, the automated Sou-chef had prepared the vegetables she had wanted. She could have simply told the station what to fix, when to have it ready and for how many people, but she liked preparing the food herself. She pulled the knives and the vegetables out and started preparing the evening meal.

She would relax, later, after everyone was fed. She shooed the two pets out and told them to find someone else to pester for a bit. If they behaved, she would have a treat for them, later. They meekly complied.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harlock had felt the ship come to rest. He had taken off his Sol Fed uniform, carefully repacked it in the case and put all of his medals and ribbons back in their velvet lined boxes. He put on a pair of worn boot-cut jeans and a red long-sleeved turtleneck. The knee on the left side of the pant was out, he noted. He wondered what it was with him and left knees in his trousers... He packed his CompPad and his usual travel duffle and exited his quarters.

He walked through the Arcadia slowly, oddly reminiscent. He remembered the first time he had walked down this hallway and explored the wonder that was the Arcadia. The first time he had put on the uniform of a pirate. The first time he had become a man of both shadows and light. He exited the Arcadia and went to his study aboard the station.

He looked around at all of the memorabilia from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. There were antiques there, from Harlock Hall in Heiligenstadt, and some artifacts that he had added since then. His hand-penned logs from the Death Shadow and the Arcadia lined the bookcases, along with the logs of many of his male progenitors. Other leather bound books lined the shelves, family portraits and ship part artifacts.

His piano stood in the corner of the room, ready for his hands to caress the keys. He thought about going to play when the door burst open, and both Tori-san and Miuu tumbled into the room. Tori-san had Miuu's fish in his beak and was flapping his wings while running on foot away from Miuu. The cat was angry and spitting as he chased Tori-san.

The bird ran behind Harlock to hide, grasping his calves for balance. Harlock hadn't been expecting the maneuver and almost fell over. He strengthened his core and kept his feet for the moment. However, the two rascals weren't done, yet. They circled him and the angry cat swiped at the bird between his legs, snagging his jeans and a portion of his inner thigh in the process. Harlock let out a howl of pain, dropping his duffle in the process. It landed on Tori-san, which caused the bird to spit out the toy fish. Miuu sprang upon it in delight and then carried it off to the stuffed chair on the side of the desk to sit with his prize between his front paws. Tori-san scrambled out from under the duffle and held onto Harlock's legs, crying piteously. Harlock held his injured leg and noted that he was bleeding through his pants. Great, he thought, another pair of pants bites the dust!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On Earth, a man with a beard but no mustache, dressed in black pants and a medium blue shirt with sturdy work boots on his feet and a straw hat with a black band along the crown, rode behind his horse who was plodding along with the plow. Behind him, a young boy dressed in the same manner, carried a seed bag and dropped the seeds into the ground and another slightly older boy behind him scooped the earth back into place. The day was a beautiful one, clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds under a properly yellow sun.

All had been restored to rightness; Jakob Schulte smiled as he worked. It was interesting he thought, that God had chosen Harlock to be the instrument of restoration. His widowed mother insisted that they bless the pirate each day. He had need of that, indeed, the shadows clouding Franz's heart and soul were deep and painful to him, Jakob thought. He idly wondered if they would ever see Harlock again. They had written back and forth to each other, but they hadn't heard back from him recently.

"Jakob!" His wife's voice called to him across the fields. "The barn Com is making noise. What shall I do?" He calmly stopped the horse's progress and got off of the plow's perch. "Children, go to your mother and help her with the chickens." The children ran off to their mother, Rachel Schulte, to do her bidding.

He walked to the barn with the horse and picked up the Com set. "Ya?" He said as he carefully held the Com close to his ear. He heard noise like someone was talking but couldn't tell exactly what was being said. He realized that he was holding it upside down and flipped the device, dropped it, and then picked it up and put it into the right position. "Ya?" He said again.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harlock waited until the second "Ya" to continue. He guessed that Jakob had dropped the Com and also figured that he hadn't heard a word he had said to him, so he began anew. "Hello Jakob," he said.

"Herr Harlock!" Jakob said with surprise. "Thou art in town?"

"No, not yet." Harlock replied. "But I am nearby and wish to visit if I may."

"When might we expect thee?" Jakob asked.

"Soon," said Harlock. "Within a day or so."

"Ya, I shall inform Mother thee visits." Jakob replied. He carefully pushed the red button Harlock had told him to push within 15 seconds of talking so as to not have a trace on the connection. Very proud of himself, he returned the device to its "base" making certain the little green light showed through as Harlock had taught him.

Technology was not something he or his people valued, but they had decided to keep contact with Harlock, and the compromise had been to keep the Com in the barn. There was no technology anywhere else on the farm other than in the barn. Electricity went to the barn for the cow milking machines, but that was the extent of "modern" technology anywhere on the farm.

After putting Ebenezer in the paddock, he left the barn and then returned to the main house. Rachel would need to know to prepare a room for their guest and his mother would want to know so that she could make chocolate chip cookies. He smiled. Who knew that something as simple as a cookie could make someone like Harlock happy! He picked out three eggs from the nests of the hens in the henhouse, amid their squawking, to take to his mother knowing that she would need them.

Harlock was satisfied that Jakob had done the Com link cut in a timely fashion. Now, he had to go to Doc Mallory and have his leg attended to. He hobbled to the door, a bloodied handkerchief tied around his thigh. He wondered if his tetanus vaccine was up to date. He left the squabbling pets behind him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thea looked at Harlock sitting in the chair with his arms crossed, a closed face, and a bandaged leg. She sighed. How did he do it? He was constantly getting injured. She came over to him and gently sat beside him. "What happened?'

He looked at her from under his mass of hair. "The bird and the cat used me in their game as a tree. I lost." He said tersely.

She tried not to grin. Nothing like Tori-san and Miuu to get Harlock outside of his comfort zone. "Let me see," she said. He got up and lowered his pants for her to see the wounds on the inner thigh. He had gotten slashed, she saw. She patted the exam table for him to hop up onto it and he complied, albeit reluctantly. A few minutes later, she had him disinfected, bandaged, vaccinated and on his way. She gave him a pair of scrub pants to wear while the jeans were washed. As usual, all pants not made specifically for him were always too short. She refrained from any comments while he was there, knowing it would wound his pride. Thea giggled after he left; Harlock was down to no pants, now!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


	4. Chapter 4

Trouser Travails - Chapter 4

_"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."_

_W. T. Purkiser_

Harlock slowly returned to his quarters in the Death Shadow. As he opened the door to the main suite, he looked in cautiously to see whether or not the two pets were still fighting, or if they had settled down. As he peered in he was relieved to see that they were both asleep. Tori-San was on his perch over by the fireplace, and Miiuu was asleep in the middle of his bed up by the pillows. The cat was snoring softly.

Bemused, Harlock breathed a sigh of relief. He quietly, albeit painfully, made his way over to his desk by the library area. He sat in the high backed chair, and pulled a bottle of nice white Merlot out of the bottom drawer of the desk. He uncorked it and poured himself a glass and set it aside to breathe. He templed his hands for a moment, resting his forehead upon them. He had the beginnings of a headache and wanted to get it under control before he became overly grumpy. He practiced his relaxation techniques that Thea had taught him when he was recovering from his injuries two years ago.

While he was doing so, he was also thinking about everything he had to be thankful for. This last mission had gotten him to think; while he had been misused by Earth's leadership far too many times to count, he had many blessings in his life. He had the best friend anyone could have in Tochiro. That brought Emeraldas and Mayu to mind. Who would have ever thought he could actually be a godfather and a decent one at that?

He had many other friends as well, both on and off of the Arcadia. The crew of the Arcadia was the best from both their desire to excel and circumstances that forced it to happen. He made a lopsided smile. Nothing like the difficulty of staying alive to bring people closer together in mutual need, he thought ruefully. They were having many adventures and they only fought the fights they wanted to do. That brought a lot of freedom in itself.

He was holding true to his principles of fighting for what he believed in. It may not be what politicians wanted, but it seemed to work well for the people they helped. He was, he thought honestly and with some amusement, a modern version of the ancient Knight Errant. Might for Right. And that was something deep within his core, fighting for what really mattered. So many things that governments wanted were not things that people actually needed. And he was going to be the one who did what was needed to help.

He remembered with fondness his many conversations with his grandfather, father, Miles Campbell, and Father Anselm while growing into his manhood. He was so thankful to have had these men help form who he was now. One guided his way spiritually, one in the ways of the warrior, and two guided him to be the next Pirate Knight of Arcadia. It wasn't always easy, this path, but when all was said and done, it was a worthwhile thing that he was a part of.

He knew that eventually he would need to pass these blessings on to a child of his own, but he wasn't quite ready for that. After all, one had to have a lady, first! And he needed a lady not impressed with the mythos of who he was or what he did, but merely loved him unconditionally. Maya had been one such. He was willing to await another.

A half hour later, feeling much improved, he took his glass of wine over to the piano. The pets were still asleep, and he knew the piano wouldn't bother them. He decided on a nice calm Brahms piece that he liked to play when he was in this mood. As he got into the music, all other things left his mind and he became one with the music.

It was at times like this that he was glad his mother had insisted that he learn something other than warrior ways. She had wanted him to have some balance in his life. As he thought on her considerable blessing in his life, his hands flew over the ivory keys, caressing them with a light touch. The music rose from his heart, through his hands into the instrument and out into the quiet air about him.

As Harlock played, those who were nearby heard the sounds of the piano, stopped what they were doing to listen in. It was hard for them to reconcile the fact that the most feared and deadly pirate in space had a light and good touch on such a soulful instrument. They grew bemused but thankful for the peace they knew it brought their leader. As the music played, each of them went to their own quiet place in their minds. It was a very peaceful moment, seldom noted. A few hummed, or just sat to listen, backs to the hallway walls, dreaming of more peaceful, beautiful times.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Miss Masu was arguing with the auto-chef. It was stubbornly insisting on chopped onions and she wanted slices for the recipe. Waving her knives about, she threatened the mechanical device in no uncertain terms. Being a machine, it remained impassive, patiently advising her to use the onions already diced.

She called up to Harlock to complain about the state of the auto-chef, but when she heard the piano playing over the com, she started to hum and relaxed. She'd make do and instead of a stir fry, she'd do a savory bread dressing with the chopped onions and some celery, baked turkey, mashed potatoes and perhaps some green beans... She called over to the farm hands to request the new items. Having a working farm aboard the Arcadia was extremely helpful when one had to plan and prepare meals for so many!

Once she completed the different preparations, she started to cook the meal and the savory smells of a full turkey feast began to waft out of the kitchen and out to where others could smell it. It smelled like home. Between the calming music, the homey smells and the rest of comparative safety, everyone started to relax.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That night, the crew of the Arcadia ate their evening meal all together. Rarely was this possible as someone always needed to be on duty to stand watch, or to do things that the Arcadia needed for regular maintenance.

Generally, everyone ate in shifts and frequently, Harlock ate alone in his suite as he usually had paperwork to do. This used to bother him, that he still had paperwork to do when he should be able to do whatever he wanted. One would think that once out of the military, paperwork would no longer be required, however, in order for the Arcadia to run smoothly there were things that needed to be communicated to him, or that he needed to communicate to the various departments or crew members. So, ubiquitous as ever, he plowed through the needed documents needed in running a complex space vessel and the ever increasing organization that had grown up around it. Thankfully, much was automated and computer driven, but there were things that only a human could really do.

He also wrote a daily log which he would pen by hand. He could have recorded one, or put it on the CompPad, but he wanted to do it the old fashioned way. It helped him to compose his thoughts and soothe his spirit. Besides, keeping a log was a Captain's sacred duty, no matter what type of ship he piloted. Doing the log in the traditional manner was his choice.

As a result, eating together at Christmas and several other celebrated holidays were the only times the whole crew and the farm personnel aboard the Arcadia and the Death Shadow managed to be together. As such, this usually made it into a very festive occasion. That evening, the food was good, the company complete and all were relaxed.

A few noted that their Captain was down to wearing sick bay scrubs that were too short for his long legs, but other than a few amused expressions, everyone else rather pointedly ignored the fact that their Captain was rather dressed down. A few felt that it was good for him to be less formal every once in a while, others were just glad that he was relaxed enough to enjoy the evening with them.

Harley was certainly more relaxed - he knew where Harlock was and that he was safe amongst them again. He was glad that he had followed Harlock despite being told not to do so. If he had not... well, it was doubtful Harlock would still have been with them. He was mortal, despite his actions stating that he didn't believe this in his own heart. Harlock knew he was a man, but there were times that he went headlong into situations as if he believed he wore magic armor, Harley thought with sour amusement.

And since Harlock required magical armor, his best friend did his best to provide what was needed. Tochiro was an excellent inventor, and Harlock's headstrong personality; frequently dangerous circumstances and missions certainly kept the little engineer more busy than perhaps even he would like. Hence the recent armor upgrades in the Arcadia, the Space Wolves and the planned changes in body armor.

The crew all noted the bulky bandages around Harlock's chest and the new one around his thigh. They were grateful it hadn't been worse for him in this last mission, but some who hadn't heard about the cat and bird fight, wondered at the new wound. Many privately thought that perhaps they should have a ship's meeting and force him to agree to not risk himself. However, none brought the idea forward, knowing that they'd have to face his Gravity Saber in a duel were they to try to limit him. Harlock needed to learn his own limits and at his current age, they thought, it did not seem likely that he wished to do so.

Harlock and Tochiro were laughing at their table, waving arms to make their points, and raising their wine glasses in good cheer. They were both also slipping meaty portions of their meals to the cat, who begged below the table, and fruit and vegetable pieces to the bird, who was perched on the back of Harlock's chair.

Miss Masu didn't approve of table feeding pets, but could not change the behavior of the two men, no matter how much she threatened them. As a result, they just got sneakier about slipping the pets their treats. It was as if the two men were mere boys again, ignoring the demands of their nanny. Miss Masu took it in stride, but that didn't stop her from trying to correct them, either. It was a game that all enjoyed, those who were a part of it and those who watched.

Good food, fine wine, good company and laughter punctuated the impromptu celebration. It was a noisy prayer of thankfulness for deliverance and for beating the odds against all of them.

It was a good evening.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later, Harlock went to go to bed. He was quite exhausted and slightly inebriated. He was still injured from the last mission, and trying to ignore his wounds and the bandages. He was limping somewhat from the thigh wound and the fact that he wasn't entirely steady on his feet wasn't helping the pain he felt in his chest. He went to the bathroom, shedding clothing and old bandages as he went. He showered, took care of the rest of his evening ablutions, cleaned his glass eye and put it in its saline filled jar by his bed, reapplied the bandages across his chest, leg and thigh, and fell headlong into his bed. He barely got the covers up over most of himself before he fell asleep.

Both Doc Zero and Thea Mallory came in a few minutes later to see if he needed any help. They noted their sleeping Captain, the fact that most of the bandages were where they belonged, and the obvious dark circles under his eyes stating that he desperately needed rest. Thea pulled out a hypo syringe and while Doc Zero lifted the covers, she injected the sleeping pirate in his back hip. He didn't even budge. She redialed the syringe and gave him another shot in the opposite side after they turned him. Then, they checked his wounds, rewrapped him and tucked him in more thoroughly.

They patiently cleaned up the strewn clothes and old bandages and generally put things to rights within his quarters. Thea returned his now clean but worn jeans and picked up the scrub pants for cleaning. Once everything was completed to their mutual satisfaction, they stared at him for a moment or two as he slept. Doc Zero looked again at what they had dosed him with and nodded to Thea. There, they thought, that ought to keep him in bed a while...

An hour later, a small furry ginger cat cleverly opened the door to Harlock's suite, padded softly to the bed, hopped up and circled three times to snuggle up next to the most fearsome warrior of known space. The cat softly snored nestled next to Harlock's back, but Harlock was too far gone to hear the snoring cat.

He had turned onto his right side, messy auburn-tinged brown hair draped mostly across his face. Harlock had been covered by the blankets, but his left leg and shoulder were now exposed from Miiuu making his own nest at Harlock's back. It didn't seem to bother either man or cat. Harlock's face was very relaxed and at that moment it was easy to see that he was still a handsome young man, despite his scars. He looked innocent in sleep, which would have surprised anyone who did not truly know him.

The bird walked in muttering, "Sleep, Perch, Sleep," and flapped up to the back of the chair near the bed. He tucked his head under his left wing and was soon fast asleep as well. He had brought a string of sausages with him, which would have irritated Miss Masu had she known of it. They were conveniently draped across the back of the chair for the Bird's morning keep-away game with the cat.

Mimee stopped by soon after the bird to check on Harlock. She sat in the chair next to the bed, finished off his glass of wine from earlier and played her harp to the sleeping man. When she finished, she got up and checked his shoulder and leg; noting them to be cool, she then picked up the cat and cuddled him close to her heart, pulled the covers more firmly over Harlock, then replaced the warm cat at his back. The cat stretched a bit and then curled back up into a small ball of fur, tail over his nose and a paw over his eyes. Miuu was like a little heater, she thought with amusement. She took the sausages off of the back of the chair and put them in the suite refrigerator.

Then she left, going to her own quarters to rest. As she walked and held her harp close to her body, she thought about how different her life was, now that she was with Harlock. She owed him her life and looking after him - as much as he would permit - was a small price to pay for his friendship. If she had had a mouth, she would have been smiling.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Tochiro turned in after a long conversation with his wife and they talked about her problems with finding the substance needed for yet one more of his inventions. Then, talk grew more of the two of them and their young daughter, Mayu. Emeraldas also had another piece of news for him that astounded him and made him dance with joy at the same time. They were to have another child! When he went to bed that night, he had a grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear, even in sleep.

Were one to look in on Emeraldas, they would have seen her sleeping with an arm curled over her stomach with a matching gentle smile, as the AI of the Queen Emeraldas looked on protectively. The AI had been given a stern talking to by Maetel and did its best to keep watch on the young woman. It worried a bit as Emeraldas was as prone to getting into trouble as the Captain of the Arcadia was constantly doing.

If it had had a head, it would have shaken it in rueful contemplation. It did take that time to update its makers. A beam leapt across space and time to a group of beings who watched over everything and had taken an especial interest in Emeraldas, Harlock, Tochiro and their adventures. They had intervened once before in their lives and the AI wondered mechanically when they would do so again. It found that it cared for the bright-haired young woman and desired to keep her as safe as was possible.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Elsewhere on the station the crew of the Arcadia were also doing the same as their Captain, some later than others. It was very quiet aboard the station and this was a rare state for this group of adventurous wanderers. They were happy to enjoy such a rest, a night few and far between.

Which was a good thing, for events were soon to test them all most sorely. Trouser procurement for Pirate Captains was not as easy to do as one might imagine.


	5. Chapter 5

**Trouser Travails - Chapter 5**

_"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home."__  
><em>_Mother Teresa__  
><em>

Early the next morning, the crew was bustling about the space station and doing the tasks that were needed to get the Arcadia ready for a visit to the Home World of Earth. Supplies needed to be laid in, repairs done to the outer hull plating which had gotten damaged during the mission where they had almost lost Harlock. The hull plating had been damaged by asteroids after the shielding system had unexpectedly shut down. Tochiro was still trying to figure out what had happened and was determined to have a system that would protect the Arcadia and its' inhabitants completely and would not fail.

The farm staff were unloading harvested crops to the stasis storage aboard the station for times of hardship for the peoples of Earth. Harlock remained convinced that another takeover was imminent, despite no visible evidence to that end, so they quite simply did as their Master and Commander requested of them. Perhaps, they thought, Harlock had learned something important that they were not yet privy to on his last mission. Harlock never tipped his hand prematurely and held onto information until you needed to know what he had decided to do. Harlock had been right many times in the past, so they had no reason to doubt him or his instincts.

Tochiro was bustling about, everywhere at once, directing the repairs for the hull plating, and the engine upgrades he had recently decided to begin work on. He wanted to begin the process of utilizing dark matter for both weapons and shielding, so he needed to begin to lay the groundwork for that transition. The deflector and shielding systems were also to be made new, based on the dark matter energy source he had tested and thought would be an advantage for them and their missions, but it was not without disadvantages and could be problematic if things were not completely harmonized.

Tadashi Daiba was on the bridge, coordinating the upgrades with Tochiro outside the ship and Yattaran and Maji in the Engine room. He knew that the new power choice was risky, and could go horribly awry if not carefully controlled and synchronized within the Arcadia, her engines, weapons and shielding programs. He was very soberly doing the tasks needed to ensure the safety of everyone. He was now a far different young man than the feckless youth he had once been. He had learned from Harlock some of the advantages of a cooler head and temper. Daiba was very proud this day, that Harlock had entrusted the command integration to him completely. After all, why else would Harlock have not been at his usual post this morning? Tadashi was determined to do his very best.

Kei Yuki was looking over the plots for the trip to Earth and the approach vectors least likely to be noticed by Earth Government. She plotted three different routes and four in-atmosphere hiding places for the Arcadia as they awaited Harlock to complete his visit with the Widow Schulte. More repair work and data downloading would be done while they waited for him in one of the several secret dry docks on Earth. The backup plans needed to have backup plans and she carefully laid in to the NavComp the alternate courses she had calculated. She was good at her job, but wondered idly how Harlock could do these course changes in his head without prior calculations. HE could do these changes on the fly, so to speak, while she needed to use computer based programs to do the same thing. She dutifully continued her tasks as one bad calculation could put them inside the planet instead of outside of it.

The ship was crawling with personnel, all doing the tasks at hand, but two were missing.

OOOOO

Mimee was strumming her harp in the garden aboard the space station. Harlock didn't need her just now, but she had to confess, she was curious as to why she had yet to see him this day. It was most odd - he was usually as visible as Tochiro during a refit, wanting to know all of the ins and outs of how the changes would impact his ability to lead in battle. He was either very busy on board, or he was not yet up. Very strange behavior for him - he was always in the thick of the ship's activities.

She got up and tucked her harp under her arm as she strode out of the garden to the ship's docking area. She checked with Tochiro, who hadn't seen Harlock. She went aboard, and no one there had seen him on the bridge either. Odd, she thought. She checked his quarters, the observation dome, the mess hall and his office. She even went to the gym area to see if he was practicing his katanas. No Harlock anywhere aboard the ship.

She went back off of the ship and walked over to his suite in the space station. She knocked gently on the door and received no answer, so after a few moments, she unlatched the door and peered inside. All she could see was a mass of red-tinged brown hair peeking out from under the blue sheets and blankets on the bed. The cat was now upside down at the bottom of the bed, between Harlock's legs, all four feet in the air, snoring softly. The bird was still on the perch by the desk with his head under his wing. She closed the door again gently. She softly glided over to a com and called Thea.

"Thea, I just checked in with the Captain and he is still fast asleep. This is so unlike him. Can you check on him, please?" Mimee asked quietly. She didn't want to sound too worried, but this was most unlike Harlock, no matter how wounded he was at that moment, he would always put on an overly brave front and do what he thought was needed.

Thea chuckled a moment on the other end of the Com. "That is because Doc Zero and I drugged him last night. He'll probably rest most of the day today. He'll be mad about it when he wakes up, but I would rather have him well and unhappy, than happy and walking around wounded and not healing. He needs rest. We just saw to it that he would rest!"

Mimee chuckled in turn. "Yes, he will definitely be upset, but you are right. How long do you think that he will sleep?"

"Probably a good twelve hours more. He's been running up to the edge of fatigue, and this sleep is the best thing for him to do. He doesn't need to be a part of today's refit. Tochiro can fill him in later, and it is probably best if most of the bugs are worked out on this refit before Harlock takes a look at them," Thea replied.

Mimee smiled. "I'll leave him alone, then. Let me know if he needs soothing later. He will likely need the harp when he awakens and after he chides the two of you for making him miss all of the excitement!"

Thea sighed, "Yes, that would be nice. I'll call you."

If Mimee had had a mouth, she would have been smiling. She went back to the garden and played her harp some more, thinking back on all of their adventures and this strange, quiet, wonderful but stubborn, and very complex man they had all grown to love and follow. How many of them had he rescued and how many of them owed their very lives to this man? She hummed as she strummed.

OOOOO

Harlock awakened, groggy and foggy some time later. Not quite the twelve hours Thea and Doc Zero had hoped for, but more hours than Harlock himself would have chosen to be comfortable with. He was hurting again and needed a boost in his pain medication. He also had to go to the bathroom rather badly - his bladder was complaining insistently. He stumbled into the bathroom and took care of his body's immediate needs, then glanced at himself blearily in the bathroom mirror as he held himself upright on the counter by the sink. His hair was tousled, his glass eye and patch were still on the nightstand and he looked like he had been out on a week-long bender, with his good eye bloodshot red.

He noted that his bandages had been refreshed and that both of his hips were a little sore. He grimaced; he had been given sleep meds again! He rubbed his sore hip on the right, then changed hands and rubbed the other on the left. Why Doc Zero and Thea believed that he needed to be drugged to rest properly was something he intended to discuss with them. Firmly discuss with them...

Yawning widely, he glanced over at the clock. His good eye shot open quite widely as he took in the hour, "1400,"he bellowed in disbelief. He stared at the clock but did not quite understand how it could be saying such a time. He was never later than 0500 getting up in the morning! Never! He prided himself on his internal clock, which had never let him down before.

Miuu padded softly on quiet cat feet in to the bathroom to peer up at his human who was swearing rather inventively in languages both Earthbound and alien. The cat hopped up onto the bathroom counter and rubbed against Harlock's hands which were firmly gripping the sink's edge. He said "Mrruppp" and rubbed Harlock some more in an obvious desire to be petted. Harlock absently rubbed the cats' ears and chin. Then stroked the cat down his marmalade striped back. The little cat then put his forefeet on Harlock's chest and bumped his chin with his head. "Mrrow", he said. Harlock gathered Miuu in his arms and absently stroked him as he walked back to his bedside. The cat was very happy with the attention and purred loudly. Harlock began to calm down with the soothing actions of petting the cat.

Harlock let the cat jump down to the bed and he then sat on the side rather wearily. He reached for the Com and winced as the chest wound pulled and small knives seared through his muscles. He picked up the Com and asked for Doc Zero. He hated taking the pain killers, but too much needed to be done and he would not do well without them, he knew. "Doc, I need a boost in the pain meds - can you bring me a dose?" Harlock asked reluctantly.

Zero smiled. He knew how much Harlock was not liking the need for the medications. "Of course, Captain. I'll be right over. Could you shower and then we will tend to your wounds after you have washed them?"

"Yes, Harlock out." Harlock cut the Com and walked wearily back to the bathroom. He took off his dressings and put them into the trash can. He then tied up the bag and put it down the refuse chute. He turned on the water which automatically came out at his preferred temperature. He stepped into the shower and let the water wash over him, soothing his muscles and cleansing his wounds for him. The multiple heads of the shower washed him quickly and he soaped up with the cleanser and allowed the pulsing shower to rinse him clean. He got out and wrapped himself in a large towel for his body and a smaller one for his hair.

He needed a haircut, he thought. He smiled ruefully, remembering the interesting haircut Widow Schulte had given him when he was recuperating in plain sight on Earth. In order to hide, she said, he needed to blend in, so she had cut his hair in the fashion of the Amish men. She had put a bowl on his head and had cut around it's edges. She had then trimmed up his beard a bit, and then shaved off his mustache. He had been totally unrecognizable! Grinning to himself over that memory, he went back out to wait for Doc Zero. Harlock went over to the bedside table, prepared to put his glass eye back in and put his patch on.

OOOOO

Doc Zero and Thea Mallory entered Harlock's suite to find him kneeling on the floor with his head, chest and arms under the bed and his toweled backside pointed upwards as he scrambled and struggled with something under the bed. They both looked at each other in surprise - what was Harlock doing?

"Give that back! You miserable excuse for a mouser! That is NOT your plaything!" Harlock was arguing with Miuu, it seemed. With that, Harlock let loose a string of invective, all aimed at the naughty cat under the bed. The cat was rumbling back in warning as he did not want to lose possession of whatever he had.

Zero and Thea entered the room, but forgot to close the door behind them as they were curious as to what Miuu had that Harlock wanted back. The next thing that they knew, a largish marble shot out from under the bed and toward the door with Miuu in hot pursuit of it. The cat deftly batted the big marble out the door and down the hall. Harlock, scrambled out from under the bed and set off in hot pursuit.

Thea and Zero stared at Harlock, then at each other as he sped by. Thea picked up the smaller towel from Harlock's hair as it had fallen as he scrambled after the cat. She hoped that the other towel was more firmly attached. They went to the doorway and peered out at the Captain's retreating form as he ran panting after the faster cat. Tori - bird set off flapping after them curious as to what the cat had gotten away with. They both started to grin, then figured they ought to go help him. Miuu and Tori both could be handfuls at times.

It was easy to track Harlock, they just followed the sounds of his cursing as he chased the cat. They eventually caught up with him, holding his left side, heaving huge breaths as he trembled from his exertions. He had the cat cornered in the kitchen pantry.

The cat was in the back corner, guarding his prize and had his ears back, showing his teeth and growling at Harlock. After all, he had fished his prize out of the icky water and he deserved to keep it! It was his turn; Harlock kept it most of the time, after all! Miuu only wanted to play with it some, too. It was only fair, he thought in his catly mind. He put the marble ball firmly under his belly and laid on top of it. There! That ought to be plain enough even for a human to understand.

Harlock was very frustrated, for if he rushed Miuu in this mood, he would have more than the thigh wound to worry about! He needed to find a way to neutralize the needle sharp claws and sharp teeth of his furry friend. He didn't have anything with him to trade Miuu for his eye, so he would have to take it back rather carefully.

Harlock unwound the towel from around himself and folded it in half. He leaned in closer and then tossed the towel on top of Miuu and then leapt over to pin and immobilize the cat within the towel. Miuu began to scream in anger as Harlock picked him up carefully. However, with his hands full of angry and possessive cat, he was not able to pick up his eye. So, he picked it up between his big toe and the second toe. He turned around and suddenly noticed that he had an audience.

Thea grinned at Harlock's discomfort in his current state of nakedness. He held the cat in the towel low enough to cover himself somewhat and then pushed the eye back over toward Thea and Doc Zero. "Pick up my eye and take it back for me, will you? I have to defuse a mad cat before I can come back."

OOOOO

Harlock waited until they had done as he asked and then he went to the kitchen cooler to find a peace offering for the angry, struggling and spitting cat. He dared not let the cat loose until the trade was done. He opened up the door with his foot and elbowed it open to look inside. "Look, Miuu, TURKEY!"

The angry cat stopped sputtering and struggling to get free from the towel. Turkey? Miuu licked his lips in anticipation. He considered the trade. It was a good one. He could play with the little ball another time, turkey was not to be taken lightly. He said, "Mrrrrp?" and started to purr so that Harlock would know it was alright to put him down.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Harlock put the cat down and swiftly got the plate of leftover turkey out of the cooler. He padded over to the closet to get a plate for both himself and Miuu. He was hungry, too! Harlock had missed both breakfast and lunch and his stomach reminded him of that fact. He put the plates on the side table. The cat had freed himself from the towel and hopped up next to Harlock on the table. Harlock retrieved his towel and wrapped himself back in it. He sat at the table and they both devoured a lot of turkey. The only sounds for the next few minutes were the sounds of contented chewing from both man and cat.

OOOOO

Harlock left the kitchen and went back to his suite. He felt a bit self-conscious walking around in a towel, and really hoped he wouldn't run into any other crew before he made it back to his rooms. He breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him.

Turning around, he saw that Doc Zero and Thea had straightened up things a bit and were waiting with his bandages. He held out his hands in a mute plea. Thea motioned him to the bathroom for another shower. She handed him a new towel and he grinned his usual half-smile.

Minutes later, he was freshly washed, medicated, bandaged and dressed comfortably. They motioned him to the couch and watched as he laid down on it. Thea covered him wordlessly with an afghan, left a book on the table and a glass of wine. "I'll need to check on things," Harlock said, hopefully.

"Not now," both medical people replied firmly.

"You need rest," Thea stated.

"Your wounds need time to heal," Zero replied, "all that chasing the cat and your wounds won't close up properly if you don't rest."

"Besides, don't you think that if Tochiro really needed you to know something that he wouldn't come and tell you about it himself?" Thea asked.

"We'll have someone bring up your dinner for you," Zero said. "Rest today, Captain. Tomorrow is soon enough for you to be into the thick of things."

They turned to leave as Harlock did not reply, but did not move to get off of the couch, either. "Thank you," Harlock said; suddenly he was very weary, "everyone but me seems to know what my limits are in terms of getting whole again." His tone was a bit rueful.

"Bear that in mind Captain, the next time you rush headlong into a situation that could kill you. We need you alive and leading us where your heart bids you to go and what it tells you to do." Thea stated quietly.

Zero nodded, smiled and added, "Without you, we are nothing more than a bunch of disaffected, thrown away people that no one else wants. You give us purpose and while you lead by example, we would all be happier if that example was a bit more safely done."

Harlock suddenly realized that they were speaking what the entire crew was thinking. He would have to be less devil-may-care. He would consider what was said. They were scolding him; gently, but scolding him all the same. He'd discuss their methods of controlling him later.

They both left and closed the door behind them. Harlock smiled. He yawned again and snuggled deeper down under the afghan. He would have to find a small ball for Miuu tomorrow, otherwise the cat would try to steal his eye again. Full of turkey, he drifted off to sleep, and for some reason, he dreamed of home and chocolate chip cookies.

OOOOO

Miss Masu made her way into the kitchen to work on the evening meal. She was thinking of Turkey Tetrazzini for dinner with a nice green salad, tomatoes and cucumbers. That would use up the left-over turkey and would still be different from last night's meal.

She then looked in the cooler and discovered that somehow the turkey she had set aside had been raided. She ground her teeth as she noticed the two dirty plates set in the sink. She sighed. Being the Arcadia's cook was a thankless job as everyone thought that the cooler was put there just for them. She got her knives out and started to sharpen them considering her options.

Quiche, she thought. I could do turkey quiches with the salads. She called over to the farm to request eggs, milk, mushrooms, red peppers and broccoli. That would expand the amount of food she had to work with.

Masu turned on the ovens and began to mix the pie crusts; then rolled them into the round shapes she needed for the 150 pie pans. She would figure out who the turkey thieves were later, and they might feel the wrath of her knives!

Doc Zero later came in to tell her that Harlock would be taking his evening meal up in his suite. As he was speaking to her and telling her the brief version of the purloined eye, he let slip that it was Harlock himself who had raided the turkey, to appease Miuu, who had stolen his eye. She demanded the entire first witness tale, laughing over the antics of both Captain and Ship's Cat.

Miss Masu discovered that she was no longer upset over the pilfered turkey. She chuckled. That cat! He drove a hard bargain! But, at least Harlock had eaten, too. Too often, she thought to herself, he didn't eat enough to keep him going. She snickered. Part of her wished she could have seen him corner the cat with his towel. That must have been quite a sight! She would have to pump Thea for information, later. Grinning, she continued her meal preparation and decided at the last minute to add chocolate chip cookies to the menu. The Captain had a weakness for them, and he could use the calories, she thought.

Later, she got out the good dishes and special tray she kept for the Captain's solitary meals and had one of the men go and cut a red rose for the tray's bud vase. The rose was there to honor Harlock's dead wife, Maya. She doubted that he would ever be fully recovered from Maya's death, as he tended to hang onto the memory of dear souls, whose cost he counted as his own.

As she placed the rose in the vase, she considered all that she knew of Harlock. For in Masu's heart, the rose honored the man who had saved her, not just his wife Maya. She hoped that someday he would allow his heart to accept another lady. Until then, they would have to keep him (mostly) in line. She shook her head. They all had their work cut out for them!

OOOOO


End file.
